Maine Memory Network

Music in Maine - Community Music

"1895Maine Historical Society George Washington Kemp, Leeds, ca. 1890Maine Historical Society George Washington "Wash" Kemp, came to Maine in…"

The Schooner Bowdoin: Ninety Years of Seagoing History

After traveling to the Arctic with Robert E. Peary, Donald B. MacMillan (1874-1970), an explorer, researcher, and lecturer, helped design his own vessel for Arctic exploration, the schooner <em>Bowdoin,</em> which he named after his alma mater. The schooner remains on the seas.

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Acknowledgements

"… of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C, Unprocessed in PAGA 7, no. 392 (D size) [P&P] X This exhibition, which was on…"

Rum, Riot, and Reform - Quenching the Thirst

"… House, Cambridge, 1881NPS, Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) Ca."

Music in Maine - Drum, Portland, ca. 1854

"… Theodore Ingalls King (1854-1906) of Portland and Washington D.C. View additional information about this item on the Maine Memory Network."

Dressing Up, Standing Out, Fitting In

Adorning oneself to look one's "best" has varied over time, gender, economic class, and by event. Adornments suggest one's sense of identity and one's intent to stand out or fit in.

Music in Maine - Country Music

"… up in the small town of Robbinston in eastern Washington County, population around 400. There was a small family band called Stanhope’s Orchestra…"

Music in Maine - Music Makers

"… vaudeville stages including in New York, Boston, Washington DC and Philadelphia. After Dunham’s rise to popularity in 1925, he published fiddling…"

Music in Maine - Rock and Roll, Punk, and Elvis

"… in places like Pittsburgh, Baltimore, New York, Washington and Boston, what was it about Maine that attracted them to play in Old Orchard Beach…"

Capt. Grenville F. Sparrow, 17th Maine

Grenville F. Sparrow of Portland was 25 when he answered Lincoln's call for more troops to fight the Confederates. He enlisted in Co. A of Maine's 17th Volunteer Infantry regiment. He fought in 30 battles between 1862 and the war's end in 1865.

Home: The Wadsworth-Longfellow House and Portland - The Wadsworth Era: 1786-1807

"… family cannot do without." - Peleg Wadsworth from Washington, D.C., to his son George, December 30, 1800 The silhouette was made about 1790."

The Public Face of Christmas

Christmas, a Christian holiday observed by many Mainers, has a very public, seasonal face that makes it visible to those of all beliefs.

Home: The Wadsworth-Longfellow House and Portland - The Longfellow Era: 1807-1901

"On November 26, 1832, Anne married George Washington Pierce, a classmate and close friend of Henry, who had studied law in Stephen Longfellow's…"

Liberty Threatened: Maine in 1775

At Lexington and Concord, on April 19, 1775, British troops attempted to destroy munitions stored by American colonists. The battles were the opening salvos of the American Revolution. Shortly, the conflict would erupt in Maine.

A Soldier's Declaration of Independence

William Bayley of Falmouth (Portland) was a soldier in the Continental Army, seeing service at Ticonderoga, Valley Forge, Monmouth Court House, and Saratoga, among other locations. His letters home to his mother reveal much about the economic hardships experienced by both soldiers and those at home.

Picturing Henry

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's popularity in the 19th century is reflected by the number of images of him -- in a variety of media -- that were produced and reproduced, some to go with published works of his, but many to be sold to the public on cards and postcards.

A Snapshot of Portland, 1924: The Taxman Cometh

In 1924, with Portland was on the verge of profound changes, the Tax Assessors Office undertook a project to document every building in the city -- with photographs and detailed information that provide a unique view into Portland's architecture, neighborhoods, industries, and businesses.

Giving Thanks

Cultures from the ancient Greeks and Chinese to contemporary societies have set aside time to give thanks, especially for the harvest. In 1941, the United States set a permanent date for the observance.

Summer's Favorite Game

Baseball often is called the National Pastime. For many people, baseball is encountered in the backyard and down the street, a game played by a few or the full contingent of a team.

John P. Sheahan, 1st Maine Cavalry, 31st Maine Infantry

John P. Sheahan of Dennysville served in the 1st Maine Cavalry from August 1862 until March 1864 when he was commissioned as a lieutenant in Co. E of the 31st Maine Infantry. His letters reveal much about the life of a soldier, including political views and thoughts about the war.

Drawing Together: Art of the Longfellows

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is best know as a poet, but he also was accomplished in drawing and music. He shared his love of drawing with most of his siblings. They all shared the frequent activity of drawing and painting with their children. The extended family included many professional as well as amateur artists, and several architects.

Margaret Chase Smith: A Historic Candidacy

When she announced her candidacy for President in January 1964, three-term Republican Senator Margaret Chase Smith became the first woman to seek the nomination of one of the two major political parties.

Cosmopolitan stylings of Mildred and Madeleine Burrage

Born in Portland, sisters Mildred Giddings Burrage (1890-1983) and Madeleine Burrage (1891-1976) were renowned artists and world travelers. Mildred's experiences studying painting in Paris and Italy, and the sisters' trips to Mexico and Guatemala inspired their artwork and shared passions for cosmopolitan and stylish attire. Housed at Maine Historical Society, The Burrage Papers include selections of original advertising drawings called "line sheets" from Parisian fashion houses dating from 1928 to 1936. Images of Madeleine's gemstone jewelry and Mildred's artwork accompany intimate family photographs of the sisters.

Home Ties: Sebago During the Civil War

Letters to and from Sebago soldiers who served in the Civil War show concern on both sides about farms and other issues at home as well as concern from the home front about soldiers' well-being.